Varied Influences

Music from Indiana University Southeast -
enjoyed byPATRIC STANDFORD

'... a superb addition to any collection.'

For anyone who would like a brief (54 minutes) conducted tour of some of the most exciting, colourful and skilfully made contemporary American chamber music, this CD, produced through Indiana University, would make a superb addition to any collection. Its title arises from the varied influences that its featured composers have used in the making of their pieces, and two of them are première recordings.

Perry Goldstein's Motherless Child Variations for saxophone quartet make their starting point with the negro spiritual 'Sometimes I feel like a motherless child'
[listen -- track 1, 0:02-1:40]
and flow through with consummate structural and inventive artistry to a dreamlike solo ending, ten minutes of pleasure appreciating not least the expertise with which he handles the instrumental textures.

The other premier is that of the well made Three Etudes for clarinet and piano by Robert Gibson. The influence here is technical brilliance as demonstrated in the impressive range of concert studies from Chopin to Ligeti. After a sinuous first and a peaceful folksy second, the third study is a jazzy tour de force for both instruments
[listen -- track 5, 0:00-1:08].